For a balance of performance and value, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong contender, offering a robust Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU that cater well to gaming and engineering tasks, with a high refresh rate screen that's great for fast-paced action. Its portability is a plus, with a decent battery life and a lighter weight compared to some rivals. However, if your work demands top-tier performance, especially in 3D rendering, machine learning, or you need a larger, higher-resolution touchscreen with exceptional color accuracy, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio's premium price tag delivers unparalleled power with its Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. It's built for professionals who need a high-resolution display with touch capability and the best color coverage for precise visual work. Keep in mind, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travelers. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 15X
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio.
Advantages of the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
9.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
9.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
8.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
9.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
5.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has 9 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Cost
$1,600
$2,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a price of $1,600 and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio costs $2,999.
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and Gigabyte Aorus 15X are both very good for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and Gigabyte Aorus 15X both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and MSI Creator 16 AI Studio both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong showing of Raptor Lake and RTX 4000 series. While the Aorus had trouble keeping up in older games like Grand Theft Auto V, it nudged past the competition in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It also flexed its next-generation muscle in Far Cry 6 and Borderlands 3. While we were impressed with the overall build quality and design of the Aorus 15X, the keyboard lacked good tactile feedback. The display performed well in real-world testing despite its on-paper shortcoming with brightness, but the speakers are lackluster at best."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 15X or the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.